Ko mo anim tee

[ajaguna]

Ko mo anim tee {Lit. Go (the way of) your face}

This is a poem I wrote to my children in Twi as a final presentation for a class I was in. Let me know what ya'll think. It hasn't been reveiwed yet...so any twi speakers out there let me know if ya'll see any corrections needed.

Me mma fefEEfe

Obra yi yE den

Nti, ehia sE mo ani yE den

Mo bra enyE dE a,

Kae mo nkrabea

Afei deE, wobEduru baabi a w'ani da so



Ko mo anim tee




Yen nnipa reko

Na yehia nnipa a won wo anihutumi

Nti moaba

Yen nnipa reko

Na yehia okofoo

Nti mo aba




Ko mo anim tee




Seesiara yen otamfoo rehyE yen so

Nti mohunu otamfoo no a, te atua!

Na yE bEnya mfasoo,

Mo hunu nhyEsoo a, te atua

Na yEbEnya mfasoo pii!




Ko mo anim tee




Seesiara Abibifoo yerehu mmobo

Nti, mohunu obibini a ohu mmobo a,

Fa wo ho ma no

Na wobEnya animuonyam

Mohunu oyare a, sa bi

Na wobEnya animuonyam




Ko mo anim tee




HwE mo ena na tie ne afotuo

Na mobE nyansa

Se mo ware a, hwE sE mo yEre te se mo ena

HwE sE won wo suban trenee, mmoborohunu, ne akokoduru

Na ebEsi wo yie




My beautiful children

This life is hard

Therefore you must be determined

When your life is not sweet

Remember your "mission/destiny"

After that, you will reach the place that your eyes lay on



Go straight ahead




Our people are fighting

And we need visionaries

Therefore ya'll have come

Our people are fighting

And we need warriors

Therefore ya'll have come




Go straight ahead




Right now our enemies oppress us

Therefore when you see the enemy, resist!

And WE will receive benefit

When you see oppression, resist!

And WE will receive much benefit!




Go straight ahead




Right now Afrikans are suffering

Therefore when you see a suffering Afrikan

Give of yourself

And you will receive honor

When you see disease, heal it

And you will receive honor




Go straight ahead




Look at your mother and listen to her advise

And you will receive wisdom

When ya'll marry, make sure that your wives are like your mother

Make sure that they possess righteous character, compassion, and courage

And it will serve you well

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

Mo ne nnetwerE! WoayE adeE pa ara! You have done well! This is a beautiful poem by J. Gyekye Aboagye that I was introduced to back in a literature of Akan language course I took some 6 years back that I've made a point to share with all who were interested in the Twi language.

On the few grammatical errors I've seen these errors from students I've worked with back in the day. Be careful that these don't become 'fossilized' so that you don't pass them on to others when you teach them. Stay BlackNificent!

Obadele Kwame

(ps- adjustments are in brackets)

Originally Posted by ajaguna

Ko mo anim tee {Lit. Go (the way of) your face}

This is a poem I wrote to my children in Twi as a final presentation for a class I was in. Let me know what ya'll think. It hasn't been reveiwed yet...so any twi speakers out there let me know if ya'll see any corrections needed.

Me mma [ho yE] fEfEEfE (fEfEEfE is an adverb to be used in conjunction with a verb like yE (i.e. YE w'adwuma fEfEEfE - do your work beautifully). This works like yie. Otherwise you can add fE to the noun i.e. MmafE in order to make it a compound noun like nkwandE)

Obra yi yE den

Nti, [E]hia sE mo ani yE den

Mo bra [E]nyE dE a,

Kae mo nkrabea

Afei deE, wobEduru baabi a w'ani da so [no]



K[O] mo anim tee




Y[E]n nnipa reko

Na y[E]hia nnipa a w[O]w[O] anihutumi

Nti moaba

Y[E]n nnipa reko

Na y[E]hia [O]kofo[O]

Nti [moaba]




K[O] mo anim tee




Sees[e]i ara y[E]n [a]tamfo[O] rehyE y[E]n so[O]

Nti mohunu [O]tamfo[O] no a, te atua!

Na [yEbEnya] mfaso[O],

[Mohunu] nhyEso[O] a, te atua

Na yEbEnya mfaso[O] pii!




K[O] mo anim tee




[Seesei ara] Abibifo[O], yErehu[nu] amane/ayE mmObO (either hunu amane - to experience a calamity or ayE mmObO - to be in a pitiful state. Each one is best rendered with it's own specific verb otherwise you get a completely different meaning. To 'hu mmObO' is to sympathize with someone)

Nti, mohunu obibini a [wayE] mmobo a,

Fa wo ho ma no

Na wobEnya animuonyam

Mohunu [O]yare a, sa bi

Na wobEnya animuonyam




K[O] mo anim tee




HwE mo [na] na tie n[']afotuo

Na mobE[nya] nyansa

S[E] [moware] a, hwE sE mo y[e]re te s[E] mo [na]

HwE sE w[O]w[O] suban t[en]enee, mmOborOhunu, ne akoko[O]duru

Na [E]bEsi wo yie




My beautiful children

This life is hard

Therefore you must be determined

When your life is not sweet

Remember your "mission/destiny"

After that, you will reach the place that your eyes lay on



Go straight ahead




Our people are fighting

And we need visionaries

Therefore ya'll have come

Our people are fighting

And we need warriors

Therefore ya'll have come




Go straight ahead




Right now our enemies oppress us

Therefore when you see the enemy, resist!

And WE will receive benefit

When you see oppression, resist!

And WE will receive much benefit!




Go straight ahead




Right now Afrikans are suffering

Therefore when you see a suffering Afrikan

Give of yourself

And you will receive honor

When you see disease, heal it

And you will receive honor




Go straight ahead




Look at your mother and listen to her advise

And you will receive wisdom

When ya'll marry, make sure that your wives are like your mother

Make sure that they possess righteous character, compassion, and courage

And it will serve you well

[ajaguna]

Meda wo ase piiiiiiii! W'aboa me paaa!

I hadn't had a chance to get it fully corrected before my wife and I presented it at a Kwanzaa celebration so I appreciate you.

Did you say this is an already existing poem? If so that is a huge coincidence because I didn't consult any sources when I created this. Can you post a copy of the one by J. Gyekye Aboagye?

Yea I feel you about the fossilization. I've noticed that because I do a good amount of study on my own, I assume certain things about the language that are incorrect and miss other subtle yet crucial elements of the language . That's why I am greatful to have you and others to correct me.

M'ani sO wo ho paaa!

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

Anything for the BlackNificent!

Not exactly, but it really reminds me of one called AbOfra. It is a poem of a father dedicated to his child. I will be able to post it when I get back stateside. I'll need to scan it in. It's very good that you do a lot of study on your own. As long as you continue learning, a lot of issues will be self correcting. With guidance others will also be resolved. As long as you keep moving and don't give up. I know someone who used to try to speak Twi in Ghana who people used to think was speaking french. Now he's teaching Twi himself. So there is no limit to the possibilities. Stay BlackNificent! Me nso m'ani sO wo ho pa ara! YEbEhyia o!

Obadele Kwame

Originally Posted by ajaguna

Meda wo ase piiiiiiii! W'aboa me paaa!

I hadn't had a chance to get it fully corrected before my wife and I presented it at a Kwanzaa celebration so I appreciate you.

Did you say this is an already existing poem? If so that is a huge coincidence because I didn't consult any sources when I created this. Can you post a copy of the one by J. Gyekye Aboagye?

Yea I feel you about the fossilization. I've noticed that because I do a good amount of study on my own, I assume certain things about the language that are incorrect and miss other subtle yet crucial elements of the language . That's why I am greatful to have you and others to correct me.

M'ani sO wo ho paaa!